Bob Kerrey, the former Nebraska governor and senator announced today that he would run for U.S. Senate, setting the stage for a competitive election year in Nebraska as Democrats fight to retain the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.).

Kerrey acknowledged that his thought-making process may have been unconventional - he initially said he was out, then said he was in - but he ultimately decided he wanted to be a part of the national debate.

His statement: "Doing things the conventional way has never been my strong suit. This afternoon, I will file to become a candidate for the United States Senate in Nebraska. I came to realize that my previous decision was the easy one, not the right one.

"My commitment to serve Nebraska and America, and to be part of the debate about the challenges we face was too strong to dismiss. My family supports this decision 100%. I look forward to seeing you in the coming weeks. We have a lot of work to do."

Kerrey later said he originally took his name out of the running three weeks ago because he feared a return to the Senate would require him to be away from his family too long. But he said he and his wife decided on Sunday that they could overcome those concerns. "My wife has reached a conclusion we can manage it. She has obviously traveled a considerable distance since we first talked about it," said Kerrey.

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